No Salary For Striking Teachers

Accra, Nov. 7 (Ghanaian Times) - IT has now been confirmed that the October salaries of striking teachers have been blocked because they did not work for that month.

Michael Nsowah, Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), confirmed this to the Times yesterday but could not immediately tell the number of teachers affected.

The over 7,000 member National Association of Graduates Teachers (NAGRAT) has been on strike since September 1 over poor conditions of service. In some parts of the country, some members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) are believed to have also joined the strike, although the GNAT executive has made it clear that GNAT is not on strike.

"We sent information to the districts and the educational institutions. Based on the returns, we blocked the salaries of those who did not work," he said.

Mr. Nsowah pointed out that no worker was paid unless it was certified that that person was at post and had worked to deserve his or her salary.

On what was being done to get the teachers back to the classroom, Mr. Nsowah said, "There is nothing we can do other than appeal to them."

He said the intervention of religious bodies had also been sought to get the striking teachers back to the classroom.

The National Labour Commission on October 11 filed a writ at an Accra Fast Track High Court contending that NAGRAT did not follow the appropriate procedure and the strike was illegal.

On October 31, an Accra Fast Track High Court presided by Justice Richard Asamoah ruled against the NAGRAT strike and ordered its members to go back to the classroom.

But NAGRAT immediately after the ruling declared its intention to appeal against the ruling. It is believed that NAGRAT members are still not back at work.